Activist`s Invitation For Look At Woods May Deter Bulldozing

A walk in the woods ... That`s how Commissioner Bob Olenik spent part of his Friday afternoon with Rebecca Martin, who is working to save a 5.8-acre pine preserve behind the Boynton Beach Mall. The Edward J. DeBartolo Corp. has plans for a new Sears store, which include bulldozing 2 1/2 acres and repaving them for 650 parking spaces. The plans go before the City Commission in two weeks.

Martin`s lobbying efforts have included an invitation to the mayor and the four commissioners to walk around the preserve and canal and see what they will vote on.

Commissioner Arline Weiner declined the walk, but talked to Martin at length about alternatives to destroying the preserve. Martin`s efforts appear to paying off, with talks if not walks. Commissioner Ezell Hester had plans to meet with her on Monday at the City Hall chambers, Commissioner Lee Wische canceled his first meeting, which Martin plans to reschedule, and Mayor Gene Moore will be Martin`s last target. Martin is confident she can get most of the commissioners out for a lengthy environmental talk, if not a walk.

-- Baby talk ... West Palm Beach Commissioner Pat Pepper Schwab is worried that city employees who decide to have babies may not be getting fair and equitable compensation.

She requested that the city staff look into the matter and make sure would-be mommies would get at least the same time off and pay as elsewhere.

But City Manager Ron Schutta said that maternity leave is part of the compensation that is negotiated with unions at the bargaining table and equal benefits would have to be afforded to male employees.

``As soon as he has babies I`ll be willing to do that,`` Schwab replied.

-- Get the lead out ... While taking notes during a rather lengthy controversial item at Monday`s City Commission meeting, Lake Worth Mayor Ron Exline realized he had nothing left with which to write.

``I`m going to have to pass the gavel for a minute to Commissioner Jim Jones,`` Exline said. ``It seems I`ve run out of lead.``

Jones took the gavel and gave Exline the opportunity to get another pencil.

``Boy, I`m sorry to hear that,`` Jones said.

-- Time and money ... The West Palm Beach City Commisson has been known to glide right through its consent agenda, but even meetings with short agendas maintain their two-hour minimum.

Monday`s meeting had the commission whiz through spending $436,442 to beef up a contract, $40,000 to settle a lawsuit and $4,200 for electrical work without a question, taking a total of about one minute.

But when one resident complained that a nearby intersection was changed into a four-way stop sign corner, things got out of hand. For almost one hour, commissioners, who voted after the first 10 minutes to have staff review the issue, heard arguments from both sides.

Freedom of speech swells in the West Palm Beach commission chambers.

-- Firefighter, don`t light that fire . . . Firefighters seeking a job with the Delray Beach Fire Department first will have to snuff out their smoking habits, according to a new policy that took effect on Monday.

The policy prohibits newly hired firefighters from smoking on or off duty, and requires applicants to be smoke-free for at least a year, Assistant Fire Chief Bob Rehr said. The department is on its way to a smokeless environment, Rehr said, with only eight to 10 current firefighters who haven`t kicked the habit.